A Rising Storm (Sandra)

I showed up in the cafeteria, and heads turned, obviously wondering who I was and when I got here, where I'm from. I gathered my tray and didn't give anyone a chance to talk to me. After glancing around to see Trixie glaring at me and Ember trying to get her to give me a chance, I went outside to the beach.

The sun was glaringly bright and warm, and my toes got wet as I tossed bread into the air for the seagulls. A larger wave crashed into me, drenching the bottom of my light blue denim capri-pants. The bright pink of my hair was even brighter on my white tank top. After feeding the birds, I went back a ways to sit and eat my food. The seagulls hovered around me, wondering if they could have more.

"I'm sorry. It's all gone, I don't have anymore," I told them.

"Okay. Thanks anyway," one replied. I stared wide-eyed in shock.

"You can talk back?" I asked.

"Only to you," and with that, the five of them flew away, leaving me to eat my pancakes in astounded silence.

I finished slowly, admiring the way the light shimmered off of the clear bluish green gently rolling waves of the water. I breathed in the heady scent of salt, memorizing this view, and the perfect sky-blue sky with small, white puffy clouds, the palm trees standing tall and proud. I would miss the view, but not the rejection I felt.

I leaned back onto my elbows and knew that the other kids were staring out the windows at me. Rather unnerving, if you ask me. A few minutes later, the seagulls lfew back to the beach in front of me, shrieking frantically.

"What is it?" I asked, still soaking up the sun and heat as much as I could.

"There's a big, big storm on its way. We must prepare ourselves. It is not safe here." the biggest of them said.

"What do you mean, 'It's not safe here.' This is the only here around. There's no where else to go!" I cried in desperation. "We, I have to get everyone on the plane! It's the only way to save us," I said thinking to myself.

"No. The storm is already an hour away. The plain cannot make it here and back in time," the bird said.

I hadn't realized it, but I had stood up and begun to pace frantically. I had to warn the others. I burst into the cafeteria just as the first person, Dil, had begun to leave.

They stared at me. Lovely. With a calm that was unnatural, I said, "There's a large storm on its way. We don't have time to get off the Island, so we have to prepare ourselves. I'm obviously the newest person here, and I don't fully understand what exactly I'm wanted to do," I said, wording my words carefully. I knew exactly what should be done, but I couldn't be sure of where they wanted me at.

"How do you know there's a storm coming?" Trixie asked skeptically.

"A little bird told me," I said. They stared at me as if I was being sarcastic and I should tell the truth. "No, I'm dead serious. Those seagulls out there just told me that a storm was coming in from the north. We have to be prepared. I don't know about you guys, but I sure as heck do not want to die in this stink-hole!" I yelled, my temper getting the better of me.

"So, you are telling me that you can now talk to animals, know everything about everyone with just a glance, shape shift, read minds, and talk to people in their heads? Sounds like someone hit the jackpot," she sneered.

"Oh, and, this is not a 'stink-hole'. This is our home. Feel free to leave whenever you want. I highly doubt any of us will miss you terribly."

I glared at her for a second longer and then stormed out of the cafeteria, heading towards the safety building. It was right next to the Infirmary and not too difficult to spot. Shifting into a giant, okay, maybe not a real giant. Just a really big girl who could carry a lot. Anyway, shifting into whatever I want, I got a bunch of sand bags and other things that would help me barricade the northern side of the Island.

I ended up having to pass the cafeteria windows, ignoring the kids watching me intently. After setting my lute down, I shifted into a bird and flew back to the safety building, repeating the process until I had enough supplies. Then, I put them into place.

The first portion of work took me ten minutes. This was the hard part, putting them into place. But I did it, and working as I did, it only took me a half an hour. I was impressed with myself. At home, it took me hours to clean my room.

I walked back into the cafeteria, appearing as I had yesterday when I arrived, and said,

"There really is a storm coming. I will be in the safe pit, where we're supposed to be during a category 4 hurricane. I'm sure most of you know where that is. But for those of you who don't, Trixie will lead the way when she decides to temporarily remove her over-sized head and use her common sense. When she realizes that I happen to be right right now, she will surely not allow herself, nor any of you to die on this puny Island where no one would notice us gone until days, weeks, possibly even months or years later.

"I'm giving you guys a fair choice here. Listen and follow me, or stay with Trixie who will probably be too late," I said, concluding my little speech. I was on a roll with these things.

Ember made a motion as if she was going to come with me, but Trixie held her back saying, "Don't. This is just an excuse of hers for attention. Don't give her what she wants, that will just make it worse."

"Oh, so, you're the one whose a Know-It-All now." I jeered at her.

When no one said any thing I told them, "Don't let your spirits come crawling or floating, or whatever, back to me when you've all realized after it was too late that I am right." Again, silence answered me, and I shook my head.

"It's a pity. I actually thought I might like some of you. That doesn't happen very often." And with that, I left them to their own, short lives, and headed for the safety building. This time, I entered the underground storm cellar.

It was dark inside, but a flashlight fixed that. It smelled old and musty, but there were plenty of survival kits and supplies.

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